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Civil War Letters
Between Alexander O'Briant and his wife,
Emily Mary Whitfield O'Briant
Alexander and Emily O'Briant were the parents of Martha Elizabeth
O'Briant who married Alias Jasper Harris. Alexander joined Co. A, North
Carolina Infantry, Confederate Troops in May of 1862. After training less
that two months at Camp Mangum, current site of Meredith College in
Raleigh, the 50th was sent to fight between Petersburg and Richmond,
Virginia. Soon they were in major battles including Drewry's Bluff and
White Oak Swamp. Parham, Alexander's brother, was killed there July 1.
The unit was sent to eastern N.C. for over two years and then to Savannah to
stop General Sherman's march. The letters span three years. Remarkably
Emily and Alexander survived. Seventy pages of Alexander's estate papers
are in the N.C. Archives in Raleigh and offer a glimpse into their lives after
the war. William Gaston Whitfield, Emily's brother, moved to Tennessee
prior to the War and saw lots of action with the Alabama 35th, including the
Peach Orchard at Gettysburg. John Dolphin Harris, father of Alias Jasper
Harris, was also in the 50th.
About eighty years after they were written, the letters were discovered by
Thomas Lester O'Briant in the attic of the O'Briant homeplace near Mt.
Tirzah, North Carolina and were transcribed by him. Thomas' grandson,
Tom Orr of Hendersonville, made a copy available to me. At this time, the
family is searching for the original letters.
For further information, contact either
TomE.Orr FredL. Hunt
1501 Dixie Trail
Raleigh, N.C. 27607
FHUNT002@NC.RR.COM (919) 781-6478

Civil War Letters
Between Alexander O'Briant and his wife,
Emily Mary Whitfield O'Briant
Alexander and Emily O'Briant were the parents of Martha Elizabeth
O'Briant who married Alias Jasper Harris. Alexander joined Co. A, North
Carolina Infantry, Confederate Troops in May of 1862. After training less
that two months at Camp Mangum, current site of Meredith College in
Raleigh, the 50th was sent to fight between Petersburg and Richmond,
Virginia. Soon they were in major battles including Drewry's Bluff and
White Oak Swamp. Parham, Alexander's brother, was killed there July 1.
The unit was sent to eastern N.C. for over two years and then to Savannah to
stop General Sherman's march. The letters span three years. Remarkably
Emily and Alexander survived. Seventy pages of Alexander's estate papers
are in the N.C. Archives in Raleigh and offer a glimpse into their lives after
the war. William Gaston Whitfield, Emily's brother, moved to Tennessee
prior to the War and saw lots of action with the Alabama 35th, including the
Peach Orchard at Gettysburg. John Dolphin Harris, father of Alias Jasper
Harris, was also in the 50th.
About eighty years after they were written, the letters were discovered by
Thomas Lester O'Briant in the attic of the O'Briant homeplace near Mt.
Tirzah, North Carolina and were transcribed by him. Thomas' grandson,
Tom Orr of Hendersonville, made a copy available to me. At this time, the
family is searching for the original letters.
For further information, contact either
TomE.Orr FredL. Hunt
1501 Dixie Trail
Raleigh, N.C. 27607
FHUNT002@NC.RR.COM (919) 781-6478